Pittsylvania County property owners begin appeals

CHATHAM — Pittsylvania County property owners are taking advantage of the two-week window to appeal the newly-released assessed values of their real estate.

At the Pittsylvania County Reassessment Office Tuesday afternoon, owners interviewed by the Danville Register & Bee told of assessments that skyrocketed by more than 50 percent on some parcels compared to the last reassessment four years ago.

They wondered why assessed values would spike to such levels during a bad economy and a stagnant real-estate market.

“I can’t understand it,” said Richard Holbrook, who has 22 parcels of land, including commercial property in the county and a home on Spring Garden Road.

About a third of an acre of Holbrook’s land in a gulley was assessed at $1,000 four years ago, only to balloon to $18,700 this time without improvements. Another 2.5-acre parcel went from $10,000 in 2005 to $15,000 this year, an increase by half. In addition, Holbrook saw another acre-sized piece of land go from $20,000 to $25,000, a 25-percent jump.

Holbrook’s home and land and his rental house also went up in assessed value.

Wingate and Associates performed the assessments from late 2008 to early November. The county’s overall assessment increased 8.7 percent from four years ago, factoring in taxable and tax-exempt parcels. The county’s value went from $4.3 billion when last assessed in 2005 to $4.6 billion this year.

Wingate assessed 49,113 taxable and tax-exempt parcels in Pittsylvania County. Overall value of taxable property in the county was about $4.2 billion.

Don Thomas, vice president of field operations for Wingate and Associates, the county’s assessor, said the way the office’s sophisticated new mapping system identified properties may have played a role in the high assessments.

“That made a difference in how we perceive the property,” Thomas said at the reassessment office Tuesday. The system can cause a parcel to appear more valuable, he said.

Reassessment can have its flaws, Thomas said.

“Perfect information in the assessment process doesn’t exist very often,” he said.

During the appeal process Tuesday, some dissatisfied property owners had appointments while others were walk-ins. Reassessments may have been too high for owners’ wishes, but the process went smoothly and everyone was civil. Owners talked about their reassessments among themselves while an assessor would periodically enter the waiting area and call out a name.

Jamie Hutchins, a residential appraiser with Wingate and Associates, said he has talked to about 20 property owners since the appeals began Monday. About seven staffers from Wingate met with property owners through the afternoon and evening Tuesday.

Cecil Jones, who lives in Blairs, said about a half-acre of his land, which has a garage, increased in assessed value from $2,500 four years ago to $8,000 in 2009, with no improvements. Also, he cannot understand why a 0.87-acre piece of land was assessed at the same price.

“I just don’t believe that,” Jones said.

His home went from $66,700 to about $72,000.

“I can’t sell it for what I’m paying the taxes on it for,” Jones said.

“I don’t mind paying taxes,” he added. “I don’t mind paying my fair share.”

After talking with an assessor, Jones said the half-acre and .87-acre parcels will be reassessed as a result of his appeal.

Pittsylvania County resident Mike Seepe said a 29-acre parcel of his off Twin Arch Road was assessed $49,000 in 2005, but increased to $78,000 this year without improvements.

“I’d like to get it back to close to what it was assessed at (four years ago),” Seepe said.

Museville resident Vernon Hedrick said his properties increased by at least 20 percent.

“I live in the country on a dead-end dirt road,” Hedrick said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t mind paying what’s fair,” he added. “I’d just like it to be a fair share.”

Everyone who files an appeal will receive a revised notice in about four to five weeks, Thomas said.

The appeals process lasts through Dec. 11 and takes place at the county reassessment office at 18 Depot St. in Chatham. Those wishing to set up an appointment with an assessor can call the office at 432-7816. Walk-ins are also welcome.